Hiya guys. I’ve been driving Millie every day since she’s
been back togeter just to leave the XJR alone until I have
some serious money in the bank to throw at it, just in case
the specialist agrees with Jack and it ends up having a bad
main bearing.
Well what I have noticed (and this is NOT new but I can now
reproduce it consistently every day) is that when slowing
down and turning right, then feathering the throttle, a
pronounced kick + loud thud comes from the drivetrain. I
don’t notice this as much going straight or turning left but
I’ll be testing that more over the next few days. I guess it
could be either the trans or the diff but thought the
apparent relationship with turning makes a trans issue
unlikely. This car does not have TRACS.
Any thoughts? Sound familiar at all?–
Andy - '96 VDP (35k) - '96 XJ6 (96k) - '97 XJR (62k) -
Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–
In reply to a message from andyman32 sent Fri 25 May 2007:
All drivetrains have some play in them and will clunk if the drive
direction is reversed. When I first bought my 40,000 mile, 5 year
old car, it would clunk noticeably in the exact same situation you
describe. After a thorough tranny fluid flush and constant fluid
refreshes over a period of a few months, it no longer did it, so it
was likely the tranny doing a bad downshift. I suggest you do a
fluid change a few times and see if that helps. It sure won’t hurt
any and its cheap.–
Brian Caro 96XJ6 4.0 63E-TypeS1FHC
Newport News, VA, United States
–Posted using Jag-lovers JagFORUM [forums.jag-lovers.org]–
–Support Jag-lovers - Donate at http://www.jag-lovers.org/donate04.php –
Check your motor and transmission mounts. If it did it making turns in
both directions, I’d believe it to be in the drive train. However the
right turn only scenario leads me to believe its probably the engine
mounts.
Hope I’m right and this simple replacement is the extent of your
problem.
In reply to a message from Brian Caro sent Fri 25 May 2007:
Thanks Brian. I have actually just done two transmission
fluid changes on Millie (though not a proper flush) and it
is remarkably smoother on upshifts, but this ‘clunk’ has
remained consistent through the fluid changes. Since the
behavior has been around at least for two years, maybe even
since I bought it, and has gotten neither better nor worse,
I guess I’ll just glaze over it - just a 96k mile car.
In reply to a message from andyman32 sent Fri 25 May 2007:
If your play seems related to direction of turn it points towards
play in the output shaft bearing(s) - not uncommon at big mileages
although the car will run OK with a millimtere or so of play if the
seal is not leaking and you keep a CLOSE eye on it and it
sounds ‘clean’ when you turn that wheel. There is a kit for
replacing them but sometimes it’s not actually the bearing that’s
worn but the outer loose in the recess.
You need a press to get them off and when you spin them after
cleaning they may seem fine with little noise or play. This is when
you notice the outer has been sliding in the diff housing recess
and needs shimming and Loctite to keep it in place. The output
shaft bearings are a major part of the suspension, not just the
driveline obviously, so they work hard. To check just get someone
to pull the top of the wheel to and fro on each side - preferably
but not essentially with that side jacked up while you look/feel
for play at the output shaft under the car.
The alternative is that you have bad A-frame bushes, which if you
are attentive is usually accompanied by a slight shimmy to one side
if you go over a bump as you turn reasonably quickly. These can be
harder to eyeball than the old design if borderline, but look for
perished rubber, off-centre bolt location, signs of rubbing etc. A
pry bar is diagnostic…–
The original message included these comments:
I’ll be testing that more over the next few days. I guess it
could be either the trans or the diff but thought the
apparent relationship with turning makes a trans issue
unlikely. This car does not have TRACS.
In reply to a message from andyman32 sent Fri 25 May 2007:
I’ve noticed a similar thing from mine. Coming to a clear
roundabout or junction where it downshifts into 2nd at about
25mph and sometimes on touching the throttle at that point I
get a slight clunk from the underneath/rear of the car. My
thoughts were some kind of propshaft slack, barely
noticeable so I don’t let it bother me. Had a similar thing
in my Scorpio at 40-45mph where the revs dropped from the
converter lockup. Apparently there was a known fault in the
rear propshaft bearing where part of the casing was plastic
and got worn away, used to manifest itself as a slight
‘cattle grid’ rumble - never got around to fixing it and it
never got any worse in the 10,000 miles I had the car and
also survived the autobox dying and a new one being dropped
in so I guess it was fair enough.–
The original message included these comments:
Well what I have noticed (and this is NOT new but I can now
reproduce it consistently every day) is that when slowing
down and turning right, then feathering the throttle, a
pronounced kick + loud thud comes from the drivetrain. I
don’t notice this as much going straight or turning left but
I’ll be testing that more over the next few days. I guess it
could be either the trans or the diff but thought the
apparent relationship with turning makes a trans issue
unlikely. This car does not have TRACS.
In reply to a message from -TiberiuS- sent Fri 25 May 2007:
I noticed yesterday that my observation was off a touch; it
IS on a shift from 3 to 2 when slowing (usually going
through a corner), and it only ‘kicks’ sharply when I let
the revs drop almost to idle. If I go just marginally faster
through the turn and keep the revs above 900-1000, the 3-2
shift generates a BIT of a lump, but is far, far smoother.
Since it’s not really a critical problem, doing one or two
more transmission fluid changes is just about all I can do
without having the transmission serviced, I suppose.–
In reply to a message from andyman32 sent Sat 26 May 2007:
i haven’t read what’s been posted prior to this post but
it’s fairly easy to check the rear transmission mount and
also check the diff mounts and propshaft bolts in case it’s
neither the diff or the transmission. It’s a long shot but
worth checking before rushing in to a transmission rebuild.
John–
The original message included these comments:
I noticed yesterday that my observation was off a touch; it
IS on a shift from 3 to 2 when slowing (usually going
through a corner), and it only ‘kicks’ sharply when I let
the revs drop almost to idle. If I go just marginally faster
through the turn and keep the revs above 900-1000, the 3-2
shift generates a BIT of a lump, but is far, far smoother.
Since it’s not really a critical problem, doing one or two
more transmission fluid changes is just about all I can do
without having the transmission serviced, I suppose.
In reply to a message from andyman32 sent Sat 26 May 2007:
I have experienced this also on an odd ocassion. I always chalked
it up to ‘‘one of those things’’.
I have never had a transmission problem, or a diffrential problem,
or guibo problem, etc.
I think you just have a point where there is some slack in the
driveline, and due to a combination of downshift/upshift, throttle-
up/throttle-down you get the odd clunk.–
The original message included these comments:
I noticed yesterday that my observation was off a touch; it
IS on a shift from 3 to 2 when slowing (usually going
through a corner), and it only ‘kicks’ sharply when I let
the revs drop almost to idle. If I go just marginally faster
through the turn and keep the revs above 900-1000, the 3-2
In reply to a message from uncle sent Tue 29 May 2007:
You’re probably right, Doug. And given the overall
improvement in the transmission’s performance since the
fluid change, I’m quite content to continue to let this be
‘‘just one of those things’’. Thanks again all, nice to be
able to ask for some input on these things, ‘just to find out’!–
In reply to a message from andyman32 sent Sat 26 May 2007:
There’s your answer… go faster! Don’t slow down, something might
break; that’s my motto anyway!–
The original message included these comments:
IS on a shift from 3 to 2 when slowing (usually going
through a corner), and it only ‘kicks’ sharply when I let
the revs drop almost to idle. If I go just marginally faster
through the turn and keep the revs above 900-1000, the 3-2
shift generates a BIT of a lump, but is far, far smoother.